


I Remember You

by jackabelle73



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27093010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackabelle73/pseuds/jackabelle73
Summary: Belle Sabrina French attends a party at the Larrabee-Gold mansion... and it’s not just any party.
Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Comments: 12
Kudos: 24





	I Remember You

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift fic for @killingkueen on Tumblr, who prompted a Sabrina AU.

For only the second time in her life, Belle Sabrina French was attending a party at the Gold mansion. And not only was she invited… tonight, she was the guest of honor. 

There was a knock at the door and Ruth poked her head in to ask, “Ready for some company, darling?” 

“Yes, please. I’m going to need help with this dress.” She stepped up onto the platform in the middle of the room, having learned from experience that adding some height to her petite frame made it much easier to don the dress.

Ruth came in, along with Mary Margaret, and they lifted the white gown from the rack and -- with Mary Margaret standing on a chair to gain height -- lifted it over Belle’s head. 

“Beautiful,” Mary Margaret said, stepping down. “Look at yourself, Belle.” 

She turned toward the full-length mirror and took in the sight of herself in her wedding gown. It was not the first time she’d seen herself in it, of course, but it was the first time seeing it on her wedding day. Her hair had been styled, her makeup carefully applied. The house and grounds had been decorated for the lavish event. At this moment, her fiancé was somewhere close by, looking dashing in his tuxedo as he always did, and he was waiting for her. 

“Oh, my…” Belle took a breath, putting a hand to her stomach to quell the swarm of butterflies that had started to flutter in there. “This is real. This is happening.” 

“I felt the same way when I put on my wedding gown,” Mary Margaret smiled at her in the mirror. “Somehow, all the months of preparations with David, all the gown fittings, guest lists and deciding on the menu, didn’t make it as real as putting on the dress that day.” 

“But you got through the nerves,” Ruth reminded her. “And so will you,” she said to Belle. “It’s far too late to back out now!” 

“I don’t want to back out,” she assured her prospective mother-in-law. “I feel more sure of marrying Linus, than I’ve ever felt about anything in my life.” 

“Hmm. And two years ago, how sure did you feel that you’d marry David one day?” Mary Margaret asked, her eyes twinkling. 

“You…” Belle smacked her lightly in the arm, only making Mary Margaret laugh. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” 

“Belle, be honest… if our positions were reversed and I was the one who’d had a girlhood crush on Linus, would you let me live it down?”

Belle considered, and admitted, “Probably not.” 

She smiled at her prospective sister-in-law, and took her offered hand to step carefully down from the platform. 

Instead of letting go, Mary Margaret took her other hand as well, and gently pulled Belle around to face her. 

“Neither of us grew up with sisters,” she said. “We never experienced all the teasing that sisters do to each other, or so I’m given to understand. After tonight, we’ll be sisters, and can tease each other for the rest of our lives.” 

Belle drew her into a hug. She stepped back, and glanced over to Ruth, who watched their interaction with a smile. 

“Something else we have in common, is that we both lost our mothers at a young age.” She reached out to Ruth, pulling her into their little circle. “Ruth, I can’t wait to call you my mother.” 

They broke apart at a soft knock on the door. 

“Is everyone decent?” Maurice’s voice called through the door. 

“Yes, Papa!” Belle answered. 

The door opened and he came in, beaming at the sight of her. 

“You look beautiful, sweetheart.” 

“We’ll give you two a few minutes,” Ruth said, with a look at Mary Margaret, who leaned in to give Belle a kiss on the cheek. 

“I’ll come get you when it’s time.” 

“Are you ready?” Maurice asked. 

“Yes, Papa. So ready. All those years of spinning fairy tales in my mind, of imagining myself marrying into this family....” She trailed off, because she didn’t need to tell him all that. He winked at her, and she laughed. “It’s not the ending I imagined, but a happy ever after, nonetheless.” 

“Wait till you see the decorations, Belle. It looks like a fairy tale.” 

“Oh, give me a hint!” Belle begged. “Linus insisted on taking care of all the arrangements, and wouldn’t even tell me the theme for the wedding.” 

“Oh, no… I’m not getting off to a bad start with my new son-in-law by spoiling it just before you walk out there. You’ll just have to wait.”

She gave him a pout, but didn’t mean it in the least. She would see the decorations for herself soon enough, and to be honest, she wanted to be surprised. Linus had been so secretive about the preparations, and so insistent on taking care of all of it himself. It was an uncharacteristic move for a man whose acquaintances would swear didn’t have a romantic bone in his body. Belle knew better, after a year of living with him in Paris, but the rest of the world hadn’t yet been introduced to the man she knew. 

They’d returned home to his family’s estate on Long Island to have their wedding, but planned to live in Paris. It was in Paris that they’d truly built a relationship, and they both felt they belonged there.

“Belle?” Mary Margaret peeked in. “It’s time. Everyone is waiting for the bride to make her big entrance.” 

Maurice offered his arm, but Belle stepped inside it to give him a hug instead. This was her last private moment with her father before becoming a married woman, and she wanted it to last just a moment longer. He returned her embrace, seeming to take care not to squeeze too hard and crumple her dress. Under the scent of freshly dry-cleaned fabric coming from his tuxedo, she could smell the leather soap that he used on the cars’ interiors, a task she’d helped him with so often. It was the smell of her childhood… but she was grown now, and it was her wedding day. 

She drew back, giving him one last smile, and took his arm when he offered it again. 

The wedding was taking place in the courtyard, with its high stone walls blocking Belle’s view as she approached. However, she could see an unexpected blue glow over the walls. The lights moved and flowed, undulating in a lazy sort of way.

She walked faster, tugging her father along with her, till she stood in the arched entrance to the courtyard, where she stopped to take in the view. 

She stood at the entrance to an underwater grotto. The blue lighting that she’d glimpsed over the walls simulated waves as the tide ebbed and flowed. Large water fountains placed throughout the area bubbled and flowed, adding water sounds to the overall effect. Several aquariums, larger than any Belle had ever seen, lined the walls. The fish within, swimming slowly back and forth, represented every color of the rainbow. Streamers hanging from overhead looked like seaweed; trees and plants looked improbably like coral. 

Their guests sat to either side of a blue-green aisle, and there, at the end of the aisle, was Linus. Her betrothed, her True Love whom she’d waited a lifetime to meet, who stared at her as if he couldn’t believe she was really here. 

She was dimly aware that other people were with him -- Mary Margaret as her Matron of Honor, David as his Best Man, and Archie as the wedding officiant. They weren’t worthy of her attention, not when Linus came out of his trance and smiled at her. 

Belle smiled back and started walking, aware that the music had changed but unable to recognize the melody. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting to Linus. She reached out her hand for him before getting to the end of the aisle, but paused to give her father a smile and kiss on the cheek before she let Linus pull her to him. 

“You’re more beautiful than ever,” he said softly, stealing a quick kiss before the officiant cleared his throat. “Sorry, couldn’t wait,” Linus grinned, looking not the least bit apologetic. 

“Went a bit overboard with the decorations, didn’t you?” she whispered to him as they assumed their position… facing each other, their hands clasped. 

“Anything for you, my water sprite. You don’t like it?” 

“I love it. Love you more.” 

“Well, perhaps I’d best start the ceremony, before these two perform it without me!” Archie Hopper proclaimed. 

“Sorry, Archie,” Belle murmured, only loud enough for him and Linus to hear. 

“It’s my understanding that the two of you have prepared your own marriage vows?”

“Yes,” Linus answered, and squeezed Belle’s hands, nodding to her to go first. 

She smiled into his eyes, took a breath, and started to speak the words that they had carefully chosen together, and tweaked to suit themselves. 

“Linus Rumford Larrabee Gold, I swear to you today that by the life that courses within my blood and the love that resides within my heart, that I now take you to my hand, my heart, and my spirit, to be my True Love. To desire you and be desired by you, but not possessed by you. You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself; but while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give. I promise to love you wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in this life and the next, where we shall meet, remember, and love again, for True Love can never be destroyed. It only changes form, and I will love you in any form, any place, and any time, in this realm and the next, for all eternity.” 

She barely managed to finish her recitation, her voice breaking on the last syllable. She drew a shuddering breath, and felt a tear slip down her cheek. She hoped Linus would understand it was just excess emotion. 

He reached out and wiped away the tear with his thumb, giving her a smile that said yes, he understood. 

“Alright?” he asked softly, and she nodded. He squeezed her hands before beginning his own vows, identical to hers. 

She tried to listen to him, to drink in the moment, but could hardly hear him over the sound of her own heart pounding. So she watched his mouth instead as it formed around the words. Linus’ lips stopped moving and Archie said something, then those lips she’d been staring at were touching hers and then her heartbeat grew even louder… or was it his heart she heard? It didn’t matter; all that mattered was kissing Linus, lifting up on her toes to get even closer to him. 

They broke apart only when the witnesses started to cheer, and she gave her new husband a bashful look as she let her heels touch the ground. 

“Later,” he whispered to her, as they turned to exit as husband and wife. 

Yes, later. They’d been spoiled by their year together in Paris, paying attention only to each other with no other demands on their time. Coming back and reintegrating into their social circles from home -- and under the pressure of planning a wedding, no less -- had been a shock, but they were married now. A few more hours of socialization, then it would be just them again, alone all night. And then they’d have their honeymoon, which felt almost redundant after the past year, but Belle wasn’t about to turn down more time alone with her love. 

Just a few more hours… but the first hour of it dragged as they greeted guest after guest in the receiving line, and Belle’s smile started to feel pasted on. So many of the guests were business associates of the Gold family, people that she didn’t even know. She was thirsty, and her feet were starting to hurt in her admittedly beautiful, but completely impractical, high heels. 

Linus noticed her discomfort, and stopped the receiving line, making a man whom even she recognized as a major player in the business world, wait longer for his turn. In front of everyone, her husband knelt down and removed her shoes, overriding her protest that she couldn’t possibly finish the party in her stocking feet. 

“I say you can. It’s your wedding day, and you can do whatever you want. Is there anything else you need, my water sprite?” 

“Well, since you mentioned it… water. We have water all around us, but I’m parched.” 

With a nod to a nearby server, a glass of water appeared in her hand, and she finished the receiving line with a genuine smile. She even managed to charm the gentleman who’d been next in line, smoothing his bruised ego over being forced to wait. 

Finally, that part was done, and everyone sat down to dinner. It had been catered, of course, she assumed by whatever five-star restaurant was the current trend in the city. Wait staff moved around them, serving food and drinks, tending to their every need. 

“You know, the staff here volunteered to cook for the wedding, and serve the dinner,” Linus commented. 

Belle turned to him, dismayed. 

“I wouldn’t want that! I wanted them to be guests at my wedding, and enjoy themselves.” 

“I know. That’s why they’re not cooking and serving tonight.” 

“Thank you,” she whispered, bringing his hand to her lips to kiss it. 

He kept his gaze on her as she did so, and the look in his eyes made her belly tighten. How much longer before it was socially acceptable to leave their own wedding reception? She couldn’t wait to be alone with her husband. 

The distinctive sound of a knife being tapped on glass made them look up. 

David stood at the microphone on stage, waiting till the conversations died down and all eyes were on him. 

“This should be interesting,” Linus muttered, taking Belle’s hand under the table. 

“Behave. You’re not the only one who’s changed in the past year,” Belle answered, just loud enough for him to hear, before focusing on David. 

“Could anyone here have predicted a year ago, that we’d be here tonight celebrating my brother’s wedding?” David asked. Silence answered him. “I didn’t think so.” 

Soft laughter rolled through the audience. 

“This last year has been so pivotal for my entire family. Linus and I seem to have switched roles… now I go to work every day at the office, while he’s spent the last year jetting around Europe with a beautiful young woman by his side.” 

Linus chuckled, and Belle squeezed his hand, quietly overjoyed that the two brothers who had had so little in common their entire lives, were finally bonding. 

“Not just any beautiful young woman,” David continued. “He was lucky enough to find the love of his life. As someone who found and married my own True Love--” he paused to raise his glass to Mary Margaret at her table -- “I know how much that matters. Belle… you are one in a million. The human side that my brother has always needed, the light to his darkness. I never could have predicted that the two of you would marry, and yet, now I can’t imagine our family’s story happening any other way. I would wish you a happy ending, but today is not an end. So instead, I’ll wish you a very happy beginning. Cheers.” 

He raised his glass to them, and the guests followed. Applause broke out, prompting Belle and Linus to stand up to accept the well wishes being sent their way. 

“Oh, one last thing?” David spoke into the microphone again, interrupting the applause. “It’s my honor to announce that it is time for the bride and groom’s first dance. Belle and Linus, the floor is yours.” 

Linus turned to Belle, a twinkle in his eye. 

“Would you like to dance, Mrs. Gold?” He extended a hand. 

“I would love to,” she answered breathlessly.

She followed him out onto the dance floor as the orchestra started to play, and recognized the opening notes. 

“Linus… is this?” 

“Is it what?” he asked, with an all-too-knowing smirk.

“I told you how much I love this song,” she whispered, as they moved effortlessly around the dance floor. They’d gotten quite a bit of practice at dancing together while living in Paris. “You remembered.” 

“Of course I did, but that’s not the only reason I chose it.”

“Tell me.” 

He pulled her closer before answering. They were barely dancing at all, more like swaying back and forth, so close that he only needed to tilt his head a little to whisper in her ear. 

“Do you remember that night on the beach in Martha’s Vineyard, when I told you I’d never married, not because I didn’t believe in True Love, but because I did?” 

“I remember that night vividly.” It was the night she’d started to truly fall for Linus. 

He pulled back so he could look at her. 

“I meant what I said. I’ve always believed, deep down, that there was someone out there for me, but I’d started to lose faith that I would ever find her. And then you came along, and renewed my faith. Now, I can’t imagine my life without you.” 

“Me either,” she answered, misty-eyed. She cupped his cheek, caressing his face. 

He pulled her closer again, putting his head to hers as he whisper-sang into her ear. 

“I always knew you’d find me… always knew you’d love me. Long before I met you, don’t ask me how I knew. Ever since I can remember, I remember you.”

**Author's Note:**

> The song that they dance to can be heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUp2H8Cgn1Y


End file.
